Sheet-feeder.



W P. MINNICK.

SHEET FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1912.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS W. F. MINNIOK.

SHEET FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.19, 1912.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR W M Q a A inn r are as his CTK experienced in separating the gitudinal sectional view of the-caliper.

COMPANY, or mass, OHIO,

srenon ro THE nanms AUTOMATIC was A coaronarron or cure.

SHEET-FEEDER.

Application 'filed December 19-, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1 WILLIAM F. Mmmon, of Niles, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Feeders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I V

In feeding sheets of paste-board or other relatively heavy elements from a pile or stack thereof, heretofore diificulty has been topmost sheet from the pile, the friction which is required to move the top sheet usually also affecting the next succeeding sheet or sheets, thereby displacing the top of the pile to. such an extentas to seriously interfere with the aecomplishment of good results.

The primary object of my invention is to overcome these diificulties, and this I. do by means which will preclude more than one sheet being displaced in each operation of the feeder, only the topmost element of the pile being bodily moved by the feeder in each operation thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts-omitted. Fig. 2 is an end view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged lBon- 1g. 4 is a plan view thereof. Fig. 5 shows a blower.

Referring to pile of stock, supposedly paste-board other .heavy material for the handling, 0 which my invention is especially designed, since according to known means the handling of relatively thin material is easily accomplished, but heretofore the separation of heavy material has been attended with more the drawings, 1 designates a or a or less difficulty and usually has been impospractice, several retainers .are preferably employed It is necessary-to withdraw the front edge of the topmost sheet from beneaththe hook or hooks 2 before such sheet can be carried-forWard-to the feeding rolls of the printing or other machine.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

the

pended by a link 17 from a jaw of which is designed to practically pa Patented Jam. 5, teas.

Serial No. 737,704.

While the means employed for separating the sheets, that is, for moving them rear: wardly suficiently far to clear their front ends of the retaining hooks, varied, I have found that a friction separator such as is shown at 5 will answer all requirements. It is shown in the form of rubbers or non-rotating rollers whose carrier .6 is slidable back and forth on a rod 7 supported by an arm 8 pivoted to .a bracket 9 secured on a cross-rod 10 of the feeder frame, such carrier being positively operated in one direction-rearwardly-by a cam 12 on a constantly-rotating shaft 13, and returned to its formerforward-fipo sition by the recoil of a spring 14; which {is compressed when the carrier is moved rearwardly. The carrier has. a roller 15 with which the cam engages, and an overhanging guide 16 which extends above the camshaft. The supporting arm 8 is adjustably susa screw 18 mounted in an arm 19 of a rock shaft 20 by which the friction separator and its carrier are raised from the pile when being moved forward by the spring and lowered when the cam is drawing the parts rearwardly. The

one piece of stock being withdrawn from beneath the retaining hooks by the action of the friction separator, I provide means which will prevent the bodily displacement f of any of the pile elements save thetopmost,

and a calipering devlce which is always in line with the top of the pile to receive the topmost element thereof. The construction of the device may shown in the form of,a plate 23 pivoted at its rear end to a head 24 on the end of a rod 25 adjustably held to bracket 9, said head having a shoulder 26 which limits. the downward movement of the device. To the underside of this plate is pivoted the rear end of or second plate 27 ,the upper s1 face the undersurface of the upper jaw onp the intervening spacebeing sufficient toreceive but one piece of stock at a time The size or width of this space may be changed to suit the width or thicknessof the being handled, For this purpose 1 21 31 6 .shownthe, two jaws orplatesconnectediby may be widely be widely varied. it is allel 1 late,

stock tance.

is drawn rearwardlyby the cam, the friction on the pile willhave the. tendency to affect several of the sheets at the top thereof, .but thebodi'ly displacement of such sheets will be resisted by the substantially vertical front or forward end of the jaw or plate .27, Which'plate is thickened for that purpose, but the topmost sheet or element being free of resistance will, however, enter the calipering space, its movement being arrested only upon engagement with stops 29. Thus the top sheet alone Will be withdrawn from beneath the overhanging retaining hooks, and may be removed from the pile without interfering with any of the remaining sheets. I have shown suction lifters which are capable of being lowered into L engagement with the top of the pile for lifting one sheet at a time and carrying it forward to the feeding rolls.

As a sheet is moved rearward into the ropening of the calipering device its rear edge is brought immediately above the forwardly projecting foot 31 of a blower "32 which latter is thereupon raised on a straight line, and as it lifts the rear edge of the topmost sheet from the pile a blast of air is ejected beneath" the sheet in the direction of travel, thus insuring separation. I preferably use two such lifting blowers, edges of the. sheets while the latterare in engagement vwith the calipering device. Any mea ns mayfbe employed for raising and'lowering them on a vertical plane substantially parallel with the rear of thepile. I have shown one of these blowers (see Fig.

5) carried by an arm 33 which is raised by a cam 34. When lowered the forwardly projecting feet lie just back 'of the pile at the rear thereof.

Although I have shown and described a very simple form of embodiment of my invention, yet. it must be understood that the latter is not confined to such construction, or to any specific combination or arrangement of parts, and hence changes may be made in the means employed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a feeder for sheets of cardboard and other heavy material, a calipering device having a space corresponding in width to thethickness of a single sheet, means for moving the top sheet from a pile of sheets into such space, registering means with the top of In practice, when the friction separator and they are designed to raise the adjusting the width of said space, means for moving the-top sheet from" a pile of sheets into suchspace, registering means with which the sheet is designed to engage, and means for moving such sheet in the opposite direction. 7.

3. In a sheet feeder, means for engaging the top ofa pile of stock for moving it bodily in one direction, means with which the pile engages for allowing the bodily displacement of only the topmost element of the pile, means for removing such topmost element after it,has' been displaced bodily relatively to the pile, and an upwardly movable member for engaging the underside of such element.

4. In a sheet'feeder, means for engaging the top of a pile of stock to move it bodily in one direction, a caliperin device having a substantially vertical flat ace with "which the edge of the pile engages, said device havmg a space at approximately right angles to said-face to receive the topmost element of the pile, means for removing such element after it has been moved into such space, and a blower for-ejecting air below said topmost element.

5. In a sheet feeder, means for engaging the top of a pile of stock for moving it bodily in one direction,-means with which the pile engages for allowing the bodily displacement of only the topmost element of the pile, means for removing such topmost element after it has been displaced relatively to the pile, and anupwardly movable blower for engaging the underside of such element and ejecting air thereunder.

6. In a sheet feeder, a retaining member designed to overhang the forward edge of a pile of stobk, means for engaging the top of the pile to remove or withdraw the topmost element thereof from beneath the overhanging member, a calipering device having a substantially vertical flat face with whibh the edge of the pile engages, said device having a space at approximately right angles to said face corresponding in width to the thickness of a single ele'mentto receive the topmost element of the pile, and means for removing said element after it has been withdrawn from said retaining member.

7. In a sheet feeder, a retaining member designed to overhang the forward edge of a pile of stock, means for engaging the top of the pile to remove or withdraw the topmost element thereof from beneath the oven hanging member, adevlce with which the rear edge of the pile is designed to engage it has retaining member, and an upwardly movmaaaee having a space in line with and designed to receive only the topmost element of the pile, means for removing such element after it has been Withdrawn from beneath such retaining member, and an upwardly movable member for engaging the underside of such element.

8. In a sheet feeder, a retaining member designed to overhang the forward edge of a pile of stock, means for engaging the top of the pile to remove or withdraw the topmost element thereof from beneath the overhanging member, a device with which the rear edge of the pile is designed to engage having a space in line with and designed to receive only the topmost element of the pile, means for removing such element after it has been withdrawn from beneath such retaining member, and a blower for ejecting air beneath such topmost element.

9. In a sheet feeder, a retaining member designed to overhang the forward edge of a pile of stock,-means for engaging the top of the pile to remove or withdraw the topmost element thereof from beneath the overhanging member, a device with which the rear edge of the pile'is designed to engage having a space in line with and designed to receive only the topmost element of the pile, means for removing such element after been withdrawn from beneath such able blower for engaging the underside of such element and ejecting air thereunder.

10. In a sheet feeder, a retaining member designed to overhang the forward edge of a pile of stock, a reciprocating device for pile ' acting on the pile to withdraw the topmost element thereof from beneath said retaining member, a device resting loosely on the and extending down over the rear edge thereof for resisting the action of said reciprocating device save as to the topmost element of the pile, said device having a space in line with and designed to receive said topmost element, and also having registering means with which the sheets engage, means for regulating the width of such space, topmost element from said device and moving it in opposite direction to its initial movement.

11. In a sheet feeder, a retainin member designed to overhang the forwar edge of a pile of stock, a reci rocating device for acting on the pile to wlthdraw the topmost element thereof from beneath said retaining member, a device resting loosely on the pile and extendingv down over the rear edge thereof for resisting the action of said reciprocating device save as to the topmost element of the pile, said device having'a space in line with and designed to receive said topmost element, and a registeringmember wlth which the topmost element 1s designed to engage when in such space.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM F. MINNICK, I

Witnesses:

WALTER H. SMITH, GEO. D. PARRY.

and means for withdrawing the 

